


The Monster of the Lost Light

by Snickers_Doodle



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 20:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13842072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snickers_Doodle/pseuds/Snickers_Doodle
Summary: A group of scavengers sneak into Cybertron but are ambushed by Overlord. One mini manages to flee the scene but is pursued by Overlord and is killed outside The Lost Light Cathedral. Overlord is going to kill the baby as well but is stopped by the churches archdeacon, whom accuses Overlord of murdering an innocent. To atone for his sin Overlord agrees to raise the child, who's name is Rodimus.





	The Monster of the Lost Light

**Author's Note:**

> Valentine's fic is a little late, but better late than never!
> 
> This was based off of The Hunchback of Notre Dame with themes from both the Disney movie and the original novel by Victor Hugo

Murmurs and mumbles filled the night air as a bot peered around a corner, scanning the area around him before he signaled for someone to follow him as he silently headed for the next corner, back pressed flush against it. A group of bots followed as silently as they all could manage, pressing themselves against the wall as well.

“Deadlock, we’re all starting to get tired.” One bot, a mini, spoke up softly, looking up at the con turned bot she’d been talking to.

“Hush. I know, I’m aware, but we just have to go a little farther. If we stop now we’re as good as dead.” He said, rather gruffly. The little mini didn’t flinch, that seemed to be how he always spoke, though she did note the tired edge to his voice.

With a sigh she moved to lean back against the wall, he was right, they were too easy to find here. It was too open and there were too many of them and if the one sparkling with them began to cry, they were definitely done for. After a moment longer, he signals them again and they all follow him around the corner.

They all stopped cold when a con came around the next corner, blocking their exit. “And where do you think you’re going, Deadlock?” The con sneered, Overlord. Deadlock stepped back, arms spread protectively, but also to keep any of the others from moving forward. He wasn’t even sure he stood a chance, not with all the others.

“Scavengers aren’t welcome in our town.” Overlord ground out, stepping forward, cons moving to stand behind him. So, he had his own little military, how quaint. Deadlock said nothing, instead growling loudly, threateningly. He would do what it took to make sure the scavengers with him came to know harm. Over lord simply laughed, of course he wasn’t scared, he had a military with him. Deadlock was himself and a group of scared bots.

He called behind him, “Go! Get out of here and make sure you get that sparkling as far away as possible!” He couldn’t hide that it was there, fully visible and starting to sob. The mini that had talked with him before stood her ground, she was going nowhere, however she directed the others to leave very much like himself.

Neither turned to watch them leave, concentrating on Overlord, they had to keep him here as long as possible, the others needed a chance.

Running was hard on all of them, they were tired, hungry, and weak, but they were doing their best. It seemed every corner they turned there were soldiers, picking them off little by little as they were captured. Until finally, it was just the bot with the sparkling, holding the crying thing tightly to his chassis as he ran, venting heavily and stumbling a few times, he could see church towers getting closer, if he could just make up.

He turned a corner and immediately turned back around and found a different corner to turn down as two soldiers screamed after him, he didn’t look back. Finally, the church came into view, crying in relief as he ran for the steps. He was almost there; he and his sparkling would be safe if they just made it through those doors. He was already crying out for sanctuary before he was even at the steps.

Suddenly, he gasped loudly and fell into the steps, sparkling falling from his arms, screaming loudly. He reached out for the little thing as he coughed up energon, a sword pulled from his chassis as Overlord stared down at him in disgust. “How dare you ask for sanctuary here.” He hissed as the bot below him quickly faded to gray. He looked over to the sparkling and sneered, “No reason to keep you alive.” He said as he pushed it to turn over with his sword.

With a sound of disgust, he moved away from the thing, “By Primus I’ve never seen anything as disgusting as you.” He said, almost disbelievingly. “Would only be fair to put you out of your misery.” He spoke as he stepped forward, raising his sword above his head to strike the little thing down as he had done its sire.

“Stop!” Came a firm cry from the church doors, the sound causing Overlord to look up, taking a step away from the sparkling and sire’s body as the archdeacon of the church came rushing down the stairs, kneeling down next to the tiny bitlet. “You dare to shed the energon of an innocent bot on the steps to Lost Light, Overlord?” He accuses as he turns to glare up at the con in question, whom steps back yet again at the accusation.

“I was only doing my duty, Archdeacon Megatron.” He began, trying to defend himself.

“You were only searching for blood, Commander Overlord.” The man spat as he gathered the sparkling in his arms, and turned to the long dead bot at his other side, “I believe this one’s name was Orion Pax… You will keep this name with you, for the rest of your life as well as this sparkling. To atone for the atrocious sin, you have committed outside my church, you are hereby to tend to this sparklings and its needs for the rest of your natural life and, if any harm shall come by it, you are sure to spend your life by Unicron’s side.” He said as he stood, slow but sure and firm.

Overlord said nothing as he glared into the other, he had to accept his punishment or be faced with a land that no longer allowed him commander. “Fine.” He said, finally. Megatron nodded and handed the sparkling over to the con in front of him. “I will be watching.” He said, a vague threat, before he disappeared back into his church.

Overlord glared down at the thing in his arms, noticing a name stitched into the blanket it had wrapped around it’s body, “Rodimus. Pah, barely a fitting name for such a disgusting thing as yourself.”

Years later, about twenty or so, Rodimus sat, staring out the bell tower window, cheek in his servo. He said and pushed himself up from the window sill, moving to the heavy bell ropes so that he could pull them down, starting the loud row of bells reverberating through the cathedral and out through the town.

Twenty years he’d been left up in the bell tower by Overlord, the man he over saw him, raised him, took care of him… If you could call it that. Mostly Overlord simply left Rodimus in the Cathedral, he was much too ugly, too bright, too loud to be out in public. At least, that’s what Overlord was always sure to tell him every time the man came to visit Rodimus. Perhaps he was right after all, he was quite the sight to behold, he supposed.

He looked at his reflection in an old bell, cracked up the side it was left up here to rot, much like himself. He pressed his servo flat to the cold surface as he took in his slightly distorted in the copper. His faceplates were warped inward on the right, metal stretched under his right optic to reveal quite a bit of the inner workings. The warped and dented metal continued down the side of his neck and into his chassis, though it stopped a quarter of the way into his front chassis. However, it continued much further down his back, all the way down his spinal strut and into his hips and the joints. It made him look as though he were melting away, the two people he knew told him it was a form of creation defect, probably caused from being late.

He turned his head away bitterly and walked back to the window sill, watching the town below. It was loud today, the Festival of Fools, held every year. It always looked fun, he’d always wanted to go and join, but there was no way he could. He would be laughed at, ridiculed. He placed his cheek back in his servo, watching as people paraded down the streets, children running through crowds, weaving through adults with many different toys and snacks in his hands, he assumed. He normally never heard anything from the town, they were much too quiet for his damaged audials, but this day he could always hear them, though muffled. Today he could see color and hear music and smell delicious foods.

He looked back to his musky bell tower, full of dust and loneliness, a reminder that he would be lonely for the rest of his life.

It’s that thought that compels him to turn away from the window and stride straight over and grab one of the loose ropes of the bell tower and slide down it, finding his way out of the Cathedral without so much as a noise and not a single optic on his escape. He didn’t do this much, mostly only at night when he needed fresh air and he never went out of the ally that his escape took him too. This time, however, this time it was broad daylight and he was going to enjoy himself, even if it was just one day, one day to not be lonely.

He stood in the ally for a long moment, watching as other Cybertronians walked by, just watching, waiting. He didn’t know what he was waiting for, not really, suddenly he was just frozen there, too afraid to go out in the open, but too determined to turn back now. Finally, after a few deep vents, he got his shaking legs to move, slowly, but surely, out into the streets lined with people.

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, keeping his head down and trying to stay as hidden as possible, he didn’t know what these people would do, how they would react. When he heard and audible gasp to the side and slightly back of him, he flinched and froze. Slowly, he lifted his head to look in the direction he’d heard the gasp, seeing a mini with a sparkling held at her hip. He quickly flinched his head back to look away and quickened his pace, he barely took the time to take in her disgusted look, but the child’s horrified reaction and crying had been enough.

This had been a terrible idea, he decided, was one day without loneliness worth the ridicule and disgust of the Cybertronians around him. He shook his helm and decided to keep going forward, he was far too determined to let it end here.

And so, he continued through town, watching as people bought confections and toys and souvenirs. He wished he could buy his own, all the treats looked so good and the souvenirs all had such detail and craftmanship. However, he not only had no money, he didn’t think he could face being that close to anyone, not when they would give him those looks like that child had. No, he’d rather stay off to himself with his head down.

The further he gets to the center of the town and the center of the festivities, the more he can find himself brave enough to lift his head and freely take in the sights around him. He found that some of the people even seemed to look at him with amazement, rather than disgust. Finally, when he stood straight, head held high, someone stopped him, a jester by the look of the robes and jewelry wrapped around his body, a meter or so shorter than Rodimus himself met the orange bot had to look down at the other.

“Kind stranger I would like to nominate you for the Pope of Fools.” He said, but never gave Rodimus an answer as he drug him along to the stage in the middle of the town square. As Rodimus stood awkwardly, looking for anyway out or off the stage, the one who drug him up began to do tricks and seemingly hyping the crowd up. After a long while, he pointed to Rodimus, “How would you like him for our Pope of Fools.”

Rodimus tried to speak up then, “I don’t want to…” He was interrupted by loud cheering and jeering. It all but drowned out his voice and he definitely couldn’t hear the other bot on stage talking to him over it. After a moment of being seemingly ignored the other grabbed Rodimus servo and drug him, again. This time, however, he drug him over to a stockade erected on the stage, something Rodimus hadn’t noticed before. With all the strength he could muster Rodimus began to try and pry himself away from the other, however more people climbed up on the stage to help shove and lock Rodimus into the thing.

“Pope of Fools!” He could hear their chanting, see their smiling faces as they jeered and abused him. He wanted so bad to look away, to yell for them to stop, he wasn’t ugly, he wasn’t disgusting! However, all he could do was watch, head snapping back and forth with near cable pinching force, the feeling gathering in the pit of his spark. It was like a heavy, cold rock that told him he should have never left his tower, that it really hadn’t been worth all this.

The feeling only grew worse when they began to throw garbage and other things at him, now just a mass of unrecognizable voices screeching in disunity. Now, he turned his head down to avoid getting hit in the face as much as possible, he knew this had been a terrible idea and now here he was getting pelted by garbage! He didn’t realize he’d started calling out for help, couldn’t really hear himself over the roar of the crowd and it was such an instinctive response that there wasn’t even real thought put into it. He glanced up and was sure he saw Overlord, sitting to the side, watching, but not standing to help him, not offering a hand, just watching with angry disgust.

He only looked away when he heard a voice shouting for them to stop and someone jumping up on to the stage. When he looked, all he could see was an entirely black and very small torso with two small orange, or maybe it was yellow, windows across the chance. He could feel servos removing the stockade from his neck, throwing it open. When the other, a mini Rodimus now realized, turned around he could see the autoboot symbol along with two lights on his upper back. As he stood from the stockade he watched the mini berate the crowd with such confidence, it struck him, rather suddenly, that this bot was also a scavenger, as apparent by his slightly worn frame and the jewelry adorning his features.

“The only monsters I see here are you, who would pick on the defenseless and innocent for your own pleasure and amusement! How dare you!” He called, it struck Rodimus in awe of the other, he was so small and hardly what one would call a threat, and yet he was so brave. When the soldiers began to come to the stage, the mini ran a few steps before throwing down a tiny ball, a smoke bomb Rodimus realized almost immediately after it exploded. It created the cover needed for the mini to slip away completely unnoticed by anyone else.

Before Rodimus could think of what to do next, running would have been logical, a strong servo grabbed his arm so hard he knew it would probably have dents. His head flew up just to have Overlord shove his own face into the others, “You.” He ground between grating dentae. “You are going back to the Cathedral and we will discuss this when I get there.” He then threw the other away from him and watched as Rodimus looked from him, to the soldiers, and then to the crowd before looking down.

“Yes, Overlord.” He said, softly, before he turned and walked down the steps of the stage, keeping his optics downcast as he walked solemnly, and perhaps a bit numbly, all the way back to Lost Light Cathedral.

Rodimus was unaware of the small figure that followed along from the shadows, watching him go into the Cathedral, being half ushered in by the large, grey mech. Rewind was almost scared of that large mech, his face unhappy. However, Rewind wanted to know more about the bot that was ushered in and so, followed him into the Cathedral behind the much larger, grey mech.

Rodimus and Megatron both turned around at the sound of someone following them in, Rodimus perking up a bit at the sight, “It’s you.” He said, clearly a bit happier at seeing him.

“Yes… It’s me. My name is Rewind, by the way.” He said, moving closer to the two of them, keeping his optics on the large mech.

Rodimus smiled a bit, “He’s the archdeacon of this Cathedral, his name is Megatron. Mine is Rodimus.” He introduced them both as Megatron turned to head for the front of the Cathedral, he didn’t make it far as a soldier came in, as quietly as he could, looking down at both Rodimus and Rewind.

Rodimus took a step back for only a second before he took three steps forward to stand protectively next to Rewind, both of them clearly ready to fight or run, which every presented itself as the only good option out. However, the soldier in front of them placed his servos up in surrender.

“He proclaimed sanctuary, as long as he is in this Cathedral there is nothing I can do. I cannot arrest him for witchcraft and I cannot take her in.” He then looked right at Rewind as he spoke the last bit, “But only so long as he stays in this Cathedral. His safety is immediately compromised the moment he steps pede outside.” He said, then looked right back to Rodimus again.

Rodimus couldn’t help the flutter in his tanks at the fact that the mech in front of him didn’t flinch away from his appearance, instead just stared at him, steadfast and like he was a person. “What’s… your name?” He finally asked, the mech smiling, a dazzling smile that almost blinded Rodimus.

“Thunderclash, Captain of the local soldiers here under Colonel Overlord.” He said, smiling proudly, it was then that Rodimus decided he didn’t much care for the other, scowling a bit. It didn’t matter how he looked at him, he was too proud of being a dog to Overlord for Rodimus’ liking.

With that thought Rodimus turned to Rewind, “He’s right, as long as you’re in here Overlord, or any soldier, cannot touch you.” He said, Rewind nodded, “I understand.”

With that Megatron lead them further into the Cathedral right to the bell tower stairs. He watched them go up a moment, before he turned around to speak with Thunderclash and discuss Rewind as well as what exactly it was Overlord was doing now.

At some point in time, Overlord had barged in, demanding the witch Rewind, shortly after Thunderclash had left. Though, since he had seen Overlord go in, he stayed near by the Cathedral. In case anyone inside needed him. “I know that scavenger witch is in here.” He growled in Megatron’s face. Megatron did not flinch and looked at Overlord coolly, barely regarding him as even a mild threat.

“Even if he had, Overlord, I would not hand her to you. This is a place of sanctuary, you have no power here. Move on.” He said, just as coolly as he looked.

Overlord looked to argue, but a hard glare from Megatron caused him to flinch slightly. He growled and spat before turning on his pede and storming out of the Cathedral, however, at the door, he turned back around. “He can’t stay in here forever Megatron.”

“Funny, Rodimus has.”

Rodimus ascended the stairs slowly, talking as he did. “I know… You probably don’t want to be confined to this Cathedral, but you’ll find the view at the top of this tower is gorgeous.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke, barely glanced at her, he was too scared to do so. He had seen enough, heard enough, for one day. “And you’re just in time for the sunset… Though it is pretty, uh, dusty up here.” He said as he pushed the access door open to allow them entry to the bell area. He helped Rewind up the rest of the way, closing the door behind them and making sure it sealed down properly before he turned around and headed for the window.

“I always watch the sunset from this window, it’s the got the best view of it.” He explained as Rewind came to stand next to him, however he shuffled away a bit, before turning away all together, giving Rewind the whole window to himself.

Rewind spoke without looking from the window, “You really aren’t a monster, Rodimus. You don’t have to shy away from me or hide, you don’t scare me.” He said, finally looking back to the other and smiling softly, Rodimus looking away out of embarrassment.

“I am… not pleasant to look at.” He said, gently touching the parts of his faceplates that warped in and flinching a bit. Rewind moved to gently place his servo over the others, looking up into his face, kindly, “You are not unpleasant to look at, Rodimus, and no one should make you feel that way.” He said and then moved back away from the dumbfounded bot to look back out the window.

“Don’t you get lonely, Rodimus? I mean being here, all the time?” Rewind asked, watching the colors of the sky begin to fade to the inky blue black of the night sky. He heard Rodimus shuffle behind him before coming to stand right next to him.

“That’s why I was out there today, I decided I wanted, or needed, just one day… where I wasn’t totally alone in a dusty, musty, old, bell tower.” He sighed softly as he stared out the window as well, it was always a gorgeous sight to watch the Cybertronian sun set, beaming lights off the metal building and bright rays across the horizon, Rodimus never got tired of it.

Rewind looked over and up to the bot standing next to him, a look of concerned awe on his face, one Rodimus didn’t see, “It must be hard…” He said softly, looking down at the seal before he shook his helm and pulled a small pendant from around his neck, something that had been hidden in the seems of his body. He looked at it for a long moment before he took a deep vent, “Hold out your hand Rodimus.”

Rodimus looked down at the little bot before he nodded and held out his servo, watching as Rewind’s tiny servo filled his own for a minute, placing the pendant into his palm gently and then closing his fingers firmly around the metal. After a moment of starring at his closed servo he turned his head to look the other in the face, clearly a bit confused.

“This is… The map to Cyberutopia. It’s where I’ll be and it’s where all my family is… I know that if you came there they would never treat you the way you’re treated right now. And I trust you with this.” Rewind explained as he looked the other in the optic and smiled, softly. He patted his servo softly, turning his attention back to the window and the final rays of the setting sun.

“I do wonder how they’re doing…”

“I’ll take you there.”

In another part of town, a tall orange and sand colored mech wondered through the large and seemingly never-ending roads. He had been trying to get to town square, that’s all he’d wanted, but now he found himself terribly lost and completely unsure of if he was even in the right town. As he continues to walk he tripped down a flight of steps, rather loudly, at the bottom he managed to stay up on his pedes for a few steps before falling right through a tattered cloth and finding himself in a narrow and very dark alleyway.

Something told him he should turn around immediately, go back the way he came, but a much less logical part of his processor told him he should keep going. He chose to listen to that, turning to head further down the alley, which was almost too small to even fit his broad shoulders.

Coming out on the other side he was a surprised by how bright it was, shielding his unprepared optics from the light as he stepped into the large area, he gasped, gaping a bit as he took in the area before him. He knew this place, had heard stories of it, seen art of it, “Cyberutopia.” He breathed softly, almost a hiss.

No sooner had he gotten the word out then he was ceased by the arms, forced behind him. He hissed and yelled something almost incomprehensible that vaguely sounded like a command to stop. However, he was ignored in favor of being lead, angrily, through the area and to a man that exuded importance and high class. He reset his vocalizer as he watched the man stand slowly, practically towering over even himself. “Ultra Magnus.” His voice was tiny and sounded far away, even in his own audials.

“Who is this?” He commanded so calmly it almost sounded like a suggestion.

“My name is Chromedome, uh, sir.” He cursed himself for how small his voice still sounded.

“You do not belong here, Chromedome. You are neither a scavenger nor are you an invited guest to our home.” The way he spoke, Chromedome new this was going to end very badly for him. If the stories were true he would either have to marry a scavenger or… be hanged. He gulped, hard.

“Seeing as you are not betrothed to one of our scavengers and the chances of you giving our location out are much too high, I have no choice but to see you hanged.” There was clearly no argument as the man rose and ordered Chromedome to the gallows.

Chromedome couldn’t believe the mess he’d gotten himself into, he should have listened to the logical part of his processor and turned tail and gone back. He would be standing on a platform with a thick cable wrapped around his neck, waiting, shaking, Primus he was scared. Too scared to even look up to the crowd, he wasn’t sure what kind of faces to expect and he didn’t want a smiling face to be the last thing he saw before he was hanged.

Vaguely, he could hear Ultra Magnus reading his sentence, “… Trespassing…. Will be hanged for…. If none have….” He tuned the rest out as he stared at his pedes, the seam in the ground below him where the platform would give way, the details of the platform below him. Just as he was sure this was the end, hearing Magnus declare it loudly, about to smash a gavel down a voice cried out, giving them all pause.

He looked up to see who was calling out, seeing a black and yellow mini making his way through the crowds to stand in front of the platform, looking rather determined. “I’ll do it… I’ll marry him.” He said, Chromedome would have flinched for the look of pity in the other’s eyes if he weren’t so relieved.

On the other side of town Thunderclash, having left Lost Light Cathedral shortly after Thunderclash had stormed out, caught up to his guards and slipped into the ranks, as if he’d been with them the whole time. He marched in place, though made his way further up slowly to where he should march with his soldiers, most barely noticed him moving up, which disappointed him. He was the largest and probably the brightest mech among them. They’d need more training.

As he caught up, he had to fight himself not to freeze in his abhorrence to Overlord’s actions as he grabbed any Cybertronian he was questioning by their necks and held them to walls, asking them for the location of the scavenger mini. When he threw his current victim aside Thunderclash moved to catch them gently in his servos and make sure they would be alright, once he was sure, he nodded and sent them on their way.

He stood slowly and marched over to the other with conviction held tight in his optics, he wasn’t going to stand for Overlord’s disgusting force. Just as he was about to seize the other by the arm, he was already grabbing another mech by the throat, hoisting them up. Thunderclash growled and wrenched the other’s arm, as carefully as he could, away from the mech and caught him before he fell. He set him back down on the ground, placing himself between Overlord and the already running mech.

“What is the meaning of this, Thunderclash? Who do you think you are?” Overlord growled, in the face of Thunderclash, whom showed no intention of backing down, not even a flinch or a second.

“I think I’m a person standing against you and your tyranny. You don’t deserve the title you have, being that you are using it to scare people that have no way of knowing where this scavenger is… It’s beginning to seem much like you aren’t just looking for him because he’s a witch.” He said, threateningly. He could see the way the other was acting, the look in his optics, the soft, almost unnoticeable, whir of fans. “You’re disgusting.”

“How dare you, you insubordinate wretch!” He bellowed as he jerked his arm away from the others servo, glaring down at him. Thunderclash would have felt like less than dirt, if he gave a damn about what Overlord thought of him.

“At least I’m not a deviant and a liar.” He growled, glaring harshly at the man at front of him. Overlord knew full well where the scavenger was, he was only looking to rile them and turn them even further against the scavengers.

“You…” Overlord glowered at the mech in front of him before a slow smirk crept its way onto his faceplates. It almost made Thunderclash feel weak, but he didn’t back down, even as the other began to speak. “You are under arrest for treason and insubordination, the sentence of which will be death.”

Thunderclash didn’t move and, for a moment of weighted silence, neither did any of the soldiers, not until Overlord shouted for them to move. Thunderclash glared harshly for only a second before he took off running down the alley’s and roads of Cybertron. He knew this city better than most of the soldiers around him, easily slipping from alley way to road and to ceilings if he had to.

Using the wall to jump and kick one soldier in the face he wasted little time in continuing his retreat once his pedes were back on the ground, tripping just slightly as he lost his balance from such a heavy landing. He skidded as he came to the walk that ran parallel to the SEM River. Almost falling straight into the river as he struggled to keep his balance, he jumped up a bit to keep from falling straight in and continued running the moment he connected to solid ground again.

He hadn’t meant to end up here, along the SEM River. It was far too open, he was far too exposed, but he couldn’t turn around and he couldn’t just stop, so he kept running next to the bright blue river. He tripped slightly and slipped into a clumsy halt as soldiers came to cut him off, he turned to see if he could go back the way he came. He was unsurprised when that was blocked off as well. He turned to the river, his only option left he ran straight for it. However, as he dived for the bright liquid below, a shot ran out and he felt a searing pain blossom from his lower back, or was it his front? The pain spread so fast he couldn’t tell where it was coming from anymore, splashing unceremoniously and heavily into the river.

The soldiers moved to the edge of the river, watching as the strong current carried Thunderclash down the river, pink mingled with the blue, creating a soft purple. After they were sure Thunderclash wouldn’t move, they left back to find Overlord and report his death.

“Stop, stop.” Came the soft voice of Rodimus as he stopped Rewind on a bridge over the SEM, looking down into the river below them and squinting. “Oh my god that’s a body.”

Just as Rewind was about to protest, Rodimus spoke up again and he jerked his head to the river, “Oh by Primus.” He said, servos over his faceplates in surprise. He didn’t get a chance to protest as Rodimus told him to go on, he should be fine on his own from there, and jumped over the side of the bridge and into the water.

Rewind looked over the edge of the bridge, running to the other side to watch as Rodimus weighted the other to the edge of the river and pushed him onto the walk. A moment later, Rodimus pulled himself over the edge as well, sitting beside him. He looked up and waved for Rewind to keep going.

“Be safe, Rodimus!” He called as quietly as he could, but loud enough the other would hear, then slipped off back into the night to find his Cyberutopia.

Rodimus stared down at the mech in his lap, then glared, “You are an idiot.” He said, softly, as he managed to drag the other over his back and head for the Lost Light. He was much better at sneaking through the city at night, the shadows having long since been his friend. Getting to Lost Light Cathedral wasn’t a problem and Megatron greeted him at the door, only to stop short and quickly move to help him with the large mech.

“What in Primus’ name happened?” Megatron asked as they drug the heavy and bleeding mech to a back room so Rodimus could tend to his wounds.

“I don’t know, Megatron, I found him like this floating in the river.” He said as he grabbed things to clean the wounds and assess the damages cost by the blast to the lower left hip of the mech lying on the ground. Megatron cursed something before he left, most likely to call a friend to come help Thunderclash further.

Rodimus leaned over him and washed the bright pink from the surprisingly shallow wound to his hip, or as shallow as a blaster wound could be, considering. He looked sad a moment, was this all because of him? He shook his head and continued to clean the wound and the mechanisms around it. It wouldn’t take much to repair the damage, he could do this much, at least rudimentary. It wouldn’t look exactly pretty, but it was better than him possibly bleeding out, being that it didn’t seem to want to stop.

As Rodimus tended to him, he heard him begin to rouse, looking over to his face as optics onlined, “You’re so stupid.” He said, soft, but firmly, a grimace taking over his features.

Thunderclash chuckled, wincing a bit at the pain it caused him, “Can’t say I’ve ever risen to someone calling me an idiot after nearly dying.” He said, smiling up at the other over him. Rodimus felt his faceplates heat up and hated it immediately, looking away and down to the wound he was tending to.

He glared slightly, mostly meant for himself, “Well maybe you shouldn’t do things to get yourself thrown into the SEM.” He said, Thunderclash laughing again.

“I didn’t get thrown, I jumped it… I just happened to also be shot at the same exact time.” He pointed out, Rodimus shooting him a look that told him to shut up, Thunderclash backed down, but still smiled softly.

“Thank you, for jumping in after me.” Rodimus shook his head at the other’s thanks, he didn’t need to, Rodimus did it because it was the right thing to do. Not because he needed someone to thank him or tell him it was a good thing.

Thunderclash reached out and placed his servo to Rodimus’ cheek, forcing the other to look at me, “Really, thank you.” He said, looking straight into the other’s optics as he spoke. Rodimus said nothing, simply held the others gaze.

Both felt something in the pit of their sparks and tanks. Rodimus’ cold and warm all at once, fluttering beating at his insides as he felt his spark speed up to levels he didn’t think were safe, clenching and unclenching almost harshly in its casing. Thunderclash’s, on the other hand, was soft and calmer. A warming feeling that took over his body, starting from his spark casing and spreading to the entirety of his frame from pede tips to finger tips. A raise in his spark rate that fluttered gently, but quickly. Neither of them said a word as they shared the moment.

Rewind, still in the city, was almost to Cyberutopia, venting heavily as he ran as quickly through the shrouded streets as he could without being loud and without getting caught. It reminded him of when they had first made it into Cybertron, he shuttered at the memory, shaking his head and continuing on his path. He didn’t want to relive all those deaths.

He was so relieved to see the tattered blanket that hid the alleyway to his home, he safety and salvation. He slipped in without so much as an optic on him, rushing down the way and coming out to the bright lights on the other side, bearing witness to the gallows being occupied and a mech about to be hanged. A handsome mech.

Rewind wasn’t sure what had compelled him to call out for the man at the gallows, pity or empathy for the man. He ignores the seizing in his spark that tells him it was something more, that there was something more there. He ignores it as he calls out and pushes through the crowd quickly, not gently either. He stood before the gallows platform, staring straight up to the man with all the pity he could muster from his spark, he wasn’t sure it was enough with the look on the others face.

Finally, he looked away and straight to Ultra Magnus’ face, “I’ll marry him.”

Ultra Magnus raised an optical ridge as he looked down at Rewind. After a moment he signaled for the two guards on the platform to remove the cable and his bindings. He then regarded Rewind, a bit coolly, “If you agree to marry him, you must stay married for four years.”

Rewind nodded, firmly, he was aware of the punishment and how long it was required to be fulfilled, “I realize this, sir.”

Ultra Magnus nodded and there was no time having the two facing each other under a scavenger’s altar promising their lives, or four years, to each other. Ultra Magnus presiding over the wedding as he had been doing for the hanging. He made every preparation and every line precise, to the point, and perfect. Rewind looked the other dead in the optics as he promised his life, making sure to keep himself as guarded as he could, despite the bubbling feeling in the pit of his tanks.

Overlord marched up to the Cathedral, he was going to take Rewind in by force, Primus be damned! He threw open the doors and all but screamed into the space, “Where is he? I know he’s here. I know damn well he’s here.”

Megatron turned to the other, calmly walking to meet him in the middle of the rows. “It does not matter if he is here or not. You do not get to,” he’s cut off by Overlord shoving him to the ground with all the force in both arms, standing over him. Megatron barely regards him as he continues to speak. “You do not get to demand to have him and you do not get to take him out of here.” He stood slowly, dusting himself off slightly and regarding the other coldly. “Leave.”

“I will do no such thing. Not until I have him in my custody. You dare harbor a witch inside holy walls?” He demanded, getting in Megatron’s face, finding himself more heating when Megatron simply fixed him with a cool and unwavering gaze, raising an unsympathetic optical ridge. Overlord

“I do not care for you getting so close to me, Overlord. You would find yourself wise to back up. You will also find it well to understand that the church harbors anyone who should ask for sanctuary, such is the teachings.” He said it with said a callous and resolute look, raising an unsympathetic optical ridge at the other. He was clearly, thoroughly unimpressed with the Cybertronian in front of him.

Overlord glared bitterly, pushing him away from him, though it was only hard enough to make Megatron take a few steps away from him. “I’m going to speak to my son.” He snarled as he turned away to trudge toward the staircase.

“He is not your son.”

Overlord stopped suddenly at the other’s words, shoulders tensing as he growled loudly. He didn’t say anything as he stomped up the stairs, Megatron compared it to a sulking child silently as he hoped that Rodimus had already gotten back up to the tower. He watched Overlord a moment before going to tend to the soldier in Rodimus’ stead.

Rodimus pulled himself back to the platform of the bell towers, having heard the fight between Megatron and Overlord, something he was sure Megatron had done on purpose, and headed over to his window. It’s how Overlord usually found him.

Just as he settled himself down against the sill Overlord threw open the door, it striking so hard against the floor it bounced a few times. He pulled himself up into the bell room and the moment his pedes were firmly on the ground he stormed over to Rodimus, grabbed his shoulder, and threw him to face him, while shoving him into the wall behind him. His face mere inches from the others as his eyes threatened the other to try anything, looming over him with such aggression Rodimus had to fight the urge to start shaking.

“Where is he?” He snarled as he pushed the others shoulder further into the wall behind him, sure to be causing dents.

“I don’t know! I helped her get out the Cathedral and that’s all!” He was scared, terrified, spark running cold in it’s casing, but he wasn’t stupid enough to let that lead him to telling Overlord where Cyberutopia was, not that he knew exactly.

Overlord scowled slightly before it turned to a presumptuous smile. “Is that right?” He pushed the others shoulder hard as he moved away from him, causing Rodimus to cry out and grab his shoulder in pain, watching Overlord through squinted optics.

“Well then I suppose it shouldn’t bother you that I’ll have to go get him now… From that Cyberutopia they talk about so much. You see I can’t just let a witch roam the good city.” He turned his delighted optics to the other, the light of them practically dancing with mirth. Rodimus felt a shiver rake his frame completely independent of his own wishes. He’d never seen Overlord this resentful and he honestly believed the other knew where Cyberutopia was and that he was going to attack all those that lived there.

Just as Rodimus was about to speak up himself Overlord spoke again, “Trust me… I will be bringing your little witch friend to the stake and he will smelt, and you will watch.” He hisses, seething in the others face, before he turns around and leaves the bell room, slamming the hatch door closed in his wake.

Rodimus sat in stunned silence for what felt like a century, however, it was surely only a few moments.

He wasn’t going to let Overlord get his way.

He scrambled up and threw open the door, headed down the bell tower stairs without closing it behind him, stopping at the bottom to make sure Overlord had really left. With a firm nod he headed for the room where Megatron was caring for Thunderclash in his stead, pushing the door open rather suddenly.

“I need your help.” He says, looking down at Thunderclash as he sat up, looking at him as if he had grown an extra head. If Rodimus weren’t so caught up in protecting Rewind and his friends, he would have commented about how it was the nicest look he’d ever gotten.

“I can’t help you.” He points out, he’s injured. He’s sure he could get something done, but he doubted he could be of much assistance.

“Yes, you can. You’re the only one that can. Overlord is going to go to Cyberutopia and he’s going to kill all of the Scavengers present just so he can capture Rewind. If he captures Rewind, he will undoubtedly have her burned at the stake. She’s my friend… I want to help her, and I want to protect her. I have to get to Cyberutopia before he does… And that means I need your help… Please.” The way the other looked at Thunderclash almost killed him, so desperate and so scared. Rodimus was really, truly, scared for the Scavenger.

Thunderclash finally nodded slowly. “Okay… Alright. I’ll help you… Where is this Cyberutopia.” When Rodimus slumped and looked a little embarrassed Thunderclash fixed him with a disbelieving look. “You don’t know?” He asked, incredulously. He couldn’t believe this, he was asking him for help and he didn’t even know where to go!

“Okay, okay, wait, hear me out! He gave me this map.” He said as he moved to sit by the other, showing him the pendant that Rewind had given him the night before. He wasn’t sure how to read it and, Thunderclash’s look, neither did the other.

“Well that is just entirely unhelpful.” He said, looking at the other with a raised optical ridge. Rodimus sighed heavily, slumping a bit, staring at the bright pendant in his servos. It looked so familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Suddenly he gasped and stood up, “The center is this church! And then that means…” He went quiet as he followed the lines along the pendant, concentrating on picturing the route he should take that lead to the little crystal dot that was Cyberutopia. “I know how to get there… I know where to go.” He looked to Thunderclash as he spoke, still just as determined as he’d been when he came in.

Thunderclash chuckled, shaking his head as he stood slowly. “Alright then… Let’s go.”

Rodimus had wasted no time in leading them through the city, right to the bridge where he had saved Thunderclash. That was where he had stopped before, now he knew the rest of the way. He wasn’t as worried as staying hidden as Thunderclash was, it was a good thing he was there to keep them as hidden as he could in the light of the day and still moving as quickly as possible. Rodimus was shaking, frame rattling so hard Thunderclash could hear it, he stopped him and pulled him into an alleyway, looking down at him firmly.

“Take a deep vent, Rodimus. If you keep this up, we will be caught and coming this far would be for nothing.” Rodimus looked, up to him scared, shaking, and looking so small. It almost broke Thunderclash’s spark to see, he couldn’t afford to let that show right now. He lead Rodimus in a quick breathing exercise, enough to get his shaking under enough control it didn’t rattle his frame as much. They shared a look before nodding at each other and continuing through the streets.

By the time they reached Cyberutopia the sun was setting, and the streets were heavy with shadows and soft orange light. Rodimus was the first to the tattered cloth that hid away the way to Cyberutopia. He pulled it back and slipped inside as Thunderclash made sure they were no followed, slipping in behind him.

Thunderclash regretted, immediately, coming along. He was cramped inside the space, clearly, they didn’t have many Scavengers quite as big as he was, and he was beginning to doubt this was even the right way. It was a long and dark and he wasn’t really sure there was going to be an end until a light began to filter into the corridor, causing Thunderclash to squint as Rodimus was engulfed in the brightening light. When he stepped after Rodimus he was met with the largest secret society he’d ever seen, he couldn’t believe how amazing it was.

The two of them didn’t get very far into the small village, as Thunderclash saw fit to call it, when they were stopped by two bots, glaring down at them. “Who are you and what do you want?”

Rodimus was quick to speak, looking a bit panicked. “I’m here to speak to Rewind. He gave me this map, I need to talk to him, it’s important.” He explained, looking desperately up to the two that had stopped him. He was incredibly scared that they would turn him away, or worse.

They let him pass with Thunderclash, watching him as he went into the village. Rodimus wasn’t sure how he was going to find Rewind, but he had to try, he had to find him before Overlord got here.

A thundering sound of many different footsteps met their audio receptors, causing not only themselves, but the entire village to look to the corridor that lead to them in baited, fearful, silence. With a cry of a demand no one understood soldiers came pouring into the village like roaches. Rodimus and Thunderclash shared a look, they’d been followed, this was their fault.

People began screaming, running about like scared cats. They were all so desperate to get away, Rodimus had never seen something so terrifying in his life, he couldn’t even get his own pedes to move to try and help, try to stop the soldiers. It was only when Thunderclash was grabbed roughly and forced to the ground that he moved, turning to try and push them away from Thunderclash. However, his arms were grabbed and forced behind his back as Overlord walked, or more like sauntered, over to them, the same look that had scared Rodimus on his face.

“My dear Rodimus… Remember that all of this, all of these Cybertronian’s suffering, the death of your friends,” he looked down to Thunderclash in disgust, “and the destruction of his little hide away village… Is all your fault.” He sneered in the others face, then backed away and threw an arm out, “Take them all away.”

Rodimus didn’t put up near as much of a fight as Thunderclash did.

Overlord oversaw the Scavengers being put into cells, Thunderclash thrown in right along with them, Rodimus taken to the bell tower, followed by a man that had found Cyberutopia on accident and had only been allowed to leave because of the one that had been captured kindness.

Rodimus still did not fight, even as he was thrown into the bell tower by Overlord and even as he was tied and bound and didn’t say a word as Overlord left the bell tower. He took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy shutter, beginning to sob quietly in the new silence of the room around him.

When the door banged back open he jumped, optics flashing online in fear, before a bot he’d never met came into focus, just his head sticking out of the square in the floor. He smiled a bit, slightly sadly, and pulled himself all the way in, going to help the other out of his binding.

Before Rodimus could ask, the other introduced himself, “I’m Chromedome, I was just outside of Cyberutopia when they seized everyone inside. They took all of the Scavengers to the prison… But they took you here, so I followed you.” He explained as he undid all of the bindings keeping Rodimus from even so much as twitching the wrong way.

Rodimus sat up slowly, rubbing the places that hurt the most, then fixing his optics on the other, “We have to help them.”

Chromedome smiled, “I know.”

“Listen, little one, if you just promise to be loyal to me and only me and stay with me… I will let you live.” Overlord said, in the tiny archivist’s audial receptor.

“But not my people.” Rewind seethed before shaking his head. “I would rather you have me hanged.” He growled, glaring at Overlord.

Overlord pulled back from the other coolly, face set in cold indifference, “Oh you will be much more than hanged, my little one… I will see you smelted.” He didn’t wait for the others reply as he called for the guards to prepare the smelting pool and stake, walking away to leave him with them.

When he was drug out into the square, just below the Cathedral, he didn’t fight, but he didn’t dare move along with them either. He simply went limp in their arms and made them drag him as if he were a rag doll, he would not give them any satisfaction. However, before they can even get him to the stake that would lower him to the pit, there was a shout from the bell tower.

When Rewind looked up to the voice, he expected Rodimus, but instead he saw Chromedome taking a rope to into his servo and swinging down to save him, landing on a lower level of the Cathedral and ushering him in before the guards could begin firing on the two of them.

“Up to the bell tower!” He said as he gathered Rewind into his arms and sprinted up the stairs three and four at a time. “I have to get to the bell tower and help Rodimus!”

Below the tower Overlord shouted for the guards to get into the Cathedral by any means necessary. “I don’t care if you have to burn it to the ground! Get him out!” He yelled as they began to clamber for the bell tower.

Thunderclash, having freed himself and the other Scavengers from their cells, ran up to the Gallows, the highest place in the square and always used for sentencing. He called out to the people around him before he pointed to the soldiers trying to break into the Cathedra. “This is the man you want to serve you justice? The man that went through this city pretending he didn’t know where the Scavenger was, so he could create unrest! The man who is so blinded by his lust for that Scavenger he would break into a church! Burn a church down! This is the man you choose to trust with the hands of your justice? What happens when you are the next victim? The next person he leaves in a bell tower for 20 years or the next attractive Scavenger?” He could tell he was getting to the people and soon his voice was drowned out as the people began to shout for his head, about to come for the soldiers when they were all forced to stop.

From the bell tower poured a molten metal, red and angry and unforgiving as it created a barrier or killed any in it’s way. The church protected so long as it stayed heated, Chromedome and Rodimus looked down from the bell tower, Rodimus meeting Thunderclash’s optic as he shouted to him, “You can do this!” and disappeared again.

Rodimus believed in Thunderclash like he believed in himself currently. He felt as though he could do anything and accomplish it all, especially with the help of Rewind and Chromedome. He ushered them back into the bell tower so that if any had made it in, they would be away from the door. He was right in doing so.

The door was blasted open and Overlord came roaring in as Rodimus stood in front of Chromedome and Rewind both. He held no fear as he stared the much larger mech down. It seemed to set Overlord off more than being denied the Scavenger in the first place.

“Out the window! Quick!” Rodimus called to the other two in the room as he dodged a sloppy attack from Overlord, knocking him on his back with a quick and precise sweep of his leg. When Overlord tried to stand he landed a hard kick to the side of the others helm then turned and ran for the window, diving out of it and rolling onto the platform below it, almost skidding off the roof before he ran after the other two. He didn’t get far before Overlord tackled him, sending them both sailing off the roof of the Cathedral.

“No!” Rewind called out as he ran for the edge of the roof, watching as Overlord fell with Rodimus into molten metal below. Rewind turned back and into Chromedome’s chest, sobbing loudly. He hadn’t meant for any of this to happen, especially not something like that to someone like Rodimus.

Rodimus wasn’t prepared to be tackled like that and going over the edge of the roof he thought for sure it was the end, optics shut tightly as he fell with Overlord. However, when he felt arms catch him around his chest catch him, he gasped loudly, turning his head to see Thunderclash leaning as far as he could out the window on a lower level. He didn’t waste anytime in bringing Rodimus into the window and setting him down, leaning out the window to see Overlord fall into the liquid metal.

Turning back to Rodimus Thunderclash placed his servos on the other’s shoulders, looking him in the optic. “You’re okay?” When Rodimus managed a shaky nod Thunderclash brought him into a tight hug. “You scared me.”

Rodimus smiled softly and leaned into the others chest, “I’m sorry.” He said softly.

Shaking his head Thunderclash moved away to look down at the other and into his optics, “Rodimus… I think I might be in love with you.” He said, putting his spark on his casing and hoping for the best.

Rodimus stared up at the other in a moment that felt more like a century between them. He shook his head, “I don’t… Understand. I’m practically a monster, you really… Love this.” He was stopped by Thunderclash’s lips pressed to his crest. He looked up to the other with a surprised innocence that made Thunderclash smile as he pulled away.

“You are no monster and I really do believe that I am in love with you.”

Rodimus sat still for a bit, taking in the other’s words and his face, his honestly and his completely naked emotions. He felt his face heat up as he came to his own realization that he was sure he was in love with the other as well.

A moment longer and the two of them turned away from each other and headed up the stairs, Rodimus a few paces faster than Thunderclash, worried for their friends at the top. Rodimus burst onto the platform first, unnoticed by either Rewind nor Chromedome as they held each other closer, Rewind clearly crying in the other’s arms. Rodimus realized, then, that Rewind had though he’d fallen to his dead.

As Thunderclash comes to stand next to Rodimus, Rodimus clears reset his vocals softly, catching both their attention. Chromedome releases Rewind so the mini can rush over to Rodimus, the other kneeling, so he could hug him tightly, “Oh Primus Rodimus I thought you had died!” He cried, Rodimus’ spark ceasing in it’s casing for a moment at the thought that the other had been sad and mourned for him, him of all Cybertronians.

“No… No, I’m okay.” Rodimus spoke softly as he returned the hug, Chromedome coming over and kneeling as well to wrap his arms around both of them, resting his helm on Rewind’s. A moment later and heavy thud jarred them all for a moment before large arms wrapped around them collectively, Thunderclash. Rodimus laughed a bit, slightly watery as he fought to keep all the happiness he felt from spilling over into a sobbing mess.

They stayed like that for so long Rodimus’ legs began to ache, and he could feel both Chromedome and Thunderclash squirming ever so slightly. However, it was Rewind that pulled away from them, wiping the coolant from his cheeks and looking up to Rodimus, determined, “Come out of this Cathedral with us. Come be part of this life, don’t stay up here. You don’t have to, you’ll never be lonely again.” He said, hopeful the other would listen.

Rodimus stared at him, feeling a sort of panic that he couldn’t quite describe rising in his spark, tightening his chest. Suddenly all the arms felt more like a cage and he had to wrench himself out of the hug, despite how much he hadn’t wanted it to end, so he could stand up. “No… No, I can’t.” He said softly as he watched them all rise.

Chromedome was the one to speak now, “I don’t know what happened, but I know that you have a good soul, a good heart, and that you don’t deserve this. You deserve a life of your own, just like the rest of us do.” He said, just as hopeful as Rewind that he’d get the other to come with them, he didn’t know why he was up in this tower or why he was scared to leave, but no one deserved to live in a Cathedral by themselves, if that’s what Rewind had meant.

Rodimus shook his helm again, taking a step back, he was going to leave, run, he couldn’t go out there and face all those Cybertronians. Not again, oh Primus not again. All their laughing faces, the mean words, monster, he was a monster. They’d would only continue to remind him of that fact, eat away at his confidence, what little he had. His mind continued to eat at him and torment him. Just as he was about to run away a strong, but gentle, servo was placed around his, taking it and holding it with such a softness Rodimus would have thought impossible. His optics focused on Thunderclash’s gentle features then as he smiled softly down at him, squeezing his servo comfortingly in his. That alone seemed to melt much of the fear gripping and squeezing at Rodimus’ spark as it slowed down and he caught his bearings a bit.

“We cannot force you to come, but I wish that you would, my spark.” He began, as soft and as gentle as the rest of him. Rodimus vaguely remembered hating him at first. “However, I want very much for you to leave, to come with us. I want us, you and I specifically, I want us to be outside of this Cathedral, together. I want people to see that I have fallen for one of the most kind-hearted, beautiful, and fearsome mechs of this town. I want to be with you, Rodimus, outside of this Cathedral. And I want to help you to love yourself as much as I have come to, as much as Rewind does… So, if you allow, please, come with us out of Lost Light Cathedral.” He leaned down, slow and careful, giving Rodimus every opportunity to push him away, tell him no. Rodimus didn’t want to say no, he wanted those lips on his, closing his eyes in anticipation and slight fear, he waited. Thunderclash smiled softly and leaned the rest of the way in, a gentle, and perhaps a bit chaste, that lasted only a few minutes, but it conveyed so much to Rodimus and Rodimus hoped in conveyed everything back to Thunderclash. All the trust he felt, all the hope, love, and affection.

“Okay… I’ll… Come with you.” It was barely a whisper, but the bright smile it caused Thunderclash was all the encouragement Rodimus needed.

Just a few short years later, or what felt short to Rodimus anyway, he found himself bustling around in the kitchen with Thunderclash clumsily following along with him. He laughed a bit at the others face, looking so concentrated, optical ridges creased and glossa slightly sticking out of his mouth.

“You are far too concentrated on the task of making energon goodies, my love.” He pointed out, this time Thunderclash laughing softly as he moved to catch the other in his arms and pull him close, “I suppose you are correct about that, my dear Rodimus.” He said, pressing their forehelms together.

Rodimus smiled, closing his optics and just taking in the moment with the other, he still couldn’t believe how much had changed and just how happy he was, how happy Thunderclash made him. He opened his optics and smiled at the other when they heard the bell signaling that Rewind and Chromedome were undoubtedly here.

“I’ll get it.” Rodimus said, pulling away from the other and heading for the door, opening it with an excited greeting for the two. “Primus, Rewind, you look about ready to pop!” He said with a chuckle as he stepped out of the way for the two, holding the door open for them both.

“Such is the way when you’re well under half the size of your partner.” Rewind said, rather calmly, as he waddled in with his husband. “Though I’m more than sure it has more to do with how close the due date is.” He added as he headed for the kitchen, immediately sitting at the dining table, Chromedome stayed standing, however.

“You both have made quite the meal.” Chromedome remarked as he looked at the small feast that would soon be set out in front of them.

“Ah, I didn’t do much, I’m truly a terrible cook. Not even cookbooks can teach me.” Thunderclash chuckled as he moved to Rodimus, taking the other by the waist and holding him close to his own side. “It was this one who really did all the work.” His compliment caused a soft flush to the other’s faceplates.

“It’s not much, but I do hope you will enjoy it.” He said, smiling.

As they all finally set out with the food in front of them, laughing, joking, and being friends, idly Rodimus wondered if it would have turned out the same if he’d never left that tower. He decided that no, no it wouldn’t have. And he had never been happier that he’d chosen to have one day to be a part of something more, because that one day gave him the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> I do not want critiques, I know it has mistakes, it's a long fic. I spent almost two months on it. It was only supposed to be 1500 words. I had no beta reader and cannot afford one. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it despite it's flaws.


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